1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to game systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to interactive game systems.
2. Background Art
Collectible trading card games are enjoying a recent resurgence in popularity with franchises, such as POKEMON and YU-GI-OH, beloved by players worldwide. Additionally, amusement centers and arcades are luring new players with new card-based game systems that combine the humble paper card with new forms of interactivity. Aided by widely available and low cost optics, detection of cards and other physical objects within gaming systems is now commercially feasible on a large scale. The widespread integration of cameras in mobile phones, computer displays, and laptop computers confirms the vast market penetration of low cost optical hardware.
A number of optics-based devices have already been introduced into the gaming market. Some systems using these devices rely on machine-readable printed codes or embedded data that are unrecognizable to a human viewer, often consisting of game code or data. Unfortunately, these codes tend to be readily reverse-engineered and modified in order to manipulate and cheat game systems in unintended ways. Additionally, since game customization logic often relies on this embedded data, future changes to the game system may be difficult to implement, as the embedded data on the cards may be difficult or impossible to modify.
Besides the security problems inherent in many of these game systems, interaction is also generally limited to one physical location only, with the cards or objects placed in very specific predetermined positions for detection purposes. The physical location of the player is thus rendered irrelevant in these systems, largely limiting gameplay paradigms to existing genres, such as tabletop gaming or traditional sedentary video-based gaming. However, gaming experiences offering physical movement and manipulation of physical objects have the potential to offer exciting and enjoyable new gameplay options.
One difficulty in implementing physical gaming experiences in the home is the limited ability to customize the environment of the user within the confines of the home entertainment center. To create the strongest impression on the user, an elaborate hardware setup is often necessary, which may be difficult or impossible to recreate at home. These specially prepared environments lend themselves more easily to installations at recreation centers, video game arcades, amusement parks, and other similar locations where game system operators have more creative control over the environment. Unfortunately, a busy user may not have frequent opportunities to visit these entertainment areas but may still desire to continue the game experience at home.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art by providing a game system playable at home or in a specially prepared environment that avoids the security issues of embedded card data but still leverages the enduring popularity of card-based game systems and the new trend towards integrating physical activity in gaming experiences.